literary
adjective
lit·er·ary
ˈli-tə-ˌrer-ē 
1
a
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of humane learning or literature
a literary education
a literary institution
b
: bookish sense 2
an essay written in a very literary style
c
: of or relating to books
a literary agent
a literary manuscript
2
a
: well-read
… he is literary, given to quoting to himself rather long stretches of remembered lines …—
F. J. Hoffman
F. J. Hoffman
b
: of or relating to authors or scholars or to their professions
her literary biographies
Synonyms of literary
Examples of literary in a Sentence
Do his books have any literary merit?
Mystery fiction is only one of many literary forms.
an essay written in a very literary style
The author uses many literary devices in his work.
He entered the literary world right out of college.
She hired a literary agent.
Recent Examples on the Web
More than a thousand November 18s in, Tara Selter, the protagonist of Balle’s literary fantasy, has at last found a few other people who are trapped in her late-autumn time loop.
—Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
Skip to content The critic and editor Malcolm Cowley had a record as a literary-talent spotter that was unmatched in the American Century.
—Michael Gorra, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
The whole setup is an ideal literary playground for Lockhart, who weaves wealth, intrigue, and the power of teen emotions into an immersive and atmospheric narrative.
—Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Established in 1960, SCELF is a collective management organization created by publishers to collect and distribute royalties generated by various forms of exploitation derived from literary works, including audiovisual, theatrical, and musical adaptations, and radio productions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literary
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Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
Skip to content The critic and editor Malcolm Cowley had a record as a literary-talent spotter that was unmatched in the American Century.
—Michael Gorra, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
The whole setup is an ideal literary playground for Lockhart, who weaves wealth, intrigue, and the power of teen emotions into an immersive and atmospheric narrative.
—Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Established in 1960, SCELF is a collective management organization created by publishers to collect and distribute royalties generated by various forms of exploitation derived from literary works, including audiovisual, theatrical, and musical adaptations, and radio productions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literary
Cite this Entry
“Literary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literary. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
literary
adjective
lit·er·ary
ˈlit-ə-ˌrer-ē
1
a
: of or relating to literature
b
2
: of or relating to writers or writing as a profession
literarily
adverb
ˌlit-ə-ˈrer-ə-lē
literariness
noun
ˈlit-ə-ˌrer-ē-nəs
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